Process for artificially maturing or aging wines, spirits, or other potable liquors.



V. HENRI, A. HELBRONNER & M. VON REGKLINGHAUSEN. PROCESS FORARTIPIOIALLY MATURING 0R AGING WINES, SPIRITS, OR OTHER POTABLB LIQUORS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 31, 1910.

1, 1 30,400. Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VICTOR HENRI, ANDRE HELBBONNER, AND MAX VOR"RECKLINGH.LUSEN, OF PARIS,FRANCE, ASSIGNORS, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE R. U. V. COMPANY, INC.,

A CORPORATION OF NEW. YORK.

PROCESS FOR ARTIFICIALLY MATURING- OB AGING WINES, SPIRITS, OE OTHERPOTAIBLE LIQUORS.

Application filed May 31, 1910.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Vrc'ron HENRI and Annmi HELBRONNER, citizens of theRepublic of France, and MAX VON RECKLING- HAUSEN, a subject of theEmperor of Germany, residing at Paris, France, have 1nvented a new anduseful Improvement in Processes for Artificially Maturin or Aging Wines,Spirits, or other Potable iquors, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to the manufacture of wine and other potableliquors.

The process of vinification after pressing of the grapes may be dividedinto two main stages, the first of which is the fermentation stage inwhich the alcohol is produced. In the second stage which takes placewhile the wine is restin in vats, casks or bottles, various chemicacompounds, mainly ethers, are produced which give to the wlne itscharacteristic flavor and bouquet. Thls second stage which may be calledmatur1ng or aging generally takes a conslderable time and it is to thisstage of the manufacture that the present invention relates.

We have found that after fermentation, wine is very susceptible to theinfluence of ultra-violet rays and according to our invention We exposeit to the action of these rays,

preferably in a thin film by which means the taste and color of the Wineis changed advanta eously and the desirable characteristics 0% an oldwine are quickly attained.

The wine or other liquor to be aged is treated b means of rays in aconcentrated form such as produced by a vapor electric lamp havin aquartz container.

In order t at our invention may be clearly understood we will proceed todescribe by way of example one form of apparatus by which it may becarried into practical effect. As shown in the accompanying drawingwhich is a sectional view, the apparatus comrises a closed funnel-shapedvessel, 1, having corrugated walls and supported rotatably at its lowerend, 2, in a fixed bearing, 3, so that its axis is inclined to theperpendicular. Secured on the lower end of the funnel is a gear wheel,4, which meshes with a worm, 5, supported in a bracket, 6, so that thefunnel may be rotated.

In one test we made with this apparatus the wine, which was a sample ofthat known Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

Serial No. 564,082.

as banyuls, was two years old, and was delivered into the funnel 1through a pipe, 10, so that it ran down the sides of the funnel throughthe vent at the bottom into a container, 7, from which it was drawn offthrough a pipe, 8. By the rotation of the funne on its axis through themedium of the gearing 5, 4 the stream of liquid was caused to spreadover the corrugated surface in a thin film. Inside the funnel was placedas close to the side as possible a mercury vapor lamp, 9, having aquartz container of the size which takes a current of about three andone-half amperes. The quantity of wine which was testedabout two and onehalf liters-t0ok several minutes to pass through the funnel, duringwhich time it was exposed to the ultra-violet rays from the lamp 9, andit was found that the taste and characteristics of the wine after thisexposure was similar to those which would be expected in wine which wasseveral years older.

The apparatus above described forms no part of our present invention asany suitable apparatus can be employed.

We wish it to be understood that the same process may also be employedin maturing or a ing potable liquors such as spirits in whic chemicalchanges are required to be produced of a somewhat similar nature tothose which take place in maturing and aging wine.

We are aware that it has been proposed to artificially age or maturewines and similar liquors by exposing them to actinic light and otherforms of radiant energy, but the methods described have not come intogeneral use, because the sources of energy described have not beensufliciently rich in ultra-violet rays to be effective and also in somecases because the liquors have been inclosed during the exposure inordinary glass bottles which it is now known are practically opaque toultra-violet rays.

We claim as our invention 1. The process for artificially maturing oragin wines, spirits and other potable liquors whic consists in submittinthe liquor to the action of concentrated u tra-violet rays.

2. The process for artificially maturing or agin wines, spirits andother potable liquors whic consists in submitting the liquor to thedirect action of concentrated ultra-violet rays produced by a vaporelectric lamp in close roximity to the wine under treatment.

3. The process for artificially maturing or agin wines, spirits andother potable liquors whi consists in submitting the liquor to theaction of ultra-violet rays produced by a mercury vapor electric lamp.

4. The process for artificially maturing or aging wines, spirits andother potable liquors, which consists in submitting the liquor to theaction of concentrated ultraviolet rays produced by a vapor electriclamp having a quartz container.

5. The process for artificially maturing or aging wines, spirits andother potable liquors, which consists in submitting the liquor in theform of a thin film, to the action of ultra-violet rays, said rays beingproduced by a vapor electric lamp having a quartz container.

6. The process for artificially maturing or aging wines, spirits andother potable liquors, which consists in delivering the liquor into arotatable and closed funnel with corrugated sides, allowin the same torun down in the form of a t in film, and submittin said thin film ofliquor, while the flmne is rotated, to the action of ultravioletraysproduced by a vapor electric lamp having a quartz container.

"7. The process of artificially maturin or aging w nes or other potableliquors w ich consists in subjecting the liquor 1n the form of a thinfilm to the action of concentrated ultra-violet rays.

8. The process for artificially maturing or aging wines, spirits andother potable liquors which consists in submitting the liquor in theform of a thin film to the action of ultra-violet ra s.

In testimony whereo we have hereunto filligcllbed our names this 13thdayof May,

VICTQR HENRI. ANDRE HELBRONNER. MAX VON RECKLINGHAUSEN.

Witnesses:

H. C. Coxn, J ACK H. BAKER.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1130,400, grantedMarch 2, 1915,

upon the application of Victor Henri, Andr Helbronner, and Max vonRecklinghausen, of Paris, France, for an improvement in Processes forArtificially Maturing or Aging Wines, Spirits, or Other Potable Liquors,errors appear in the printed specification requiring correction asfollows: Page 2, lines 2-3, strike out the words in close proximity tothe wine under treatment; same page, line 8, change the period to acomma and insert the words in close proximity to the wine undertreatment. and that the said Letters Patent should be read with thesecorrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the casein the Patent Oflice.

Signed and sealed this 30th day of March, A. D., 1915.

[SEAL] J. T. NEWTON,

Acting Commissioner of Patents.

